Question

Budget. Always start with budget. It’ll dictate how many people you can invite based on the kind of wedding you want to have— backyard bbq, black tie formal, etc.

We started by looking at venues because we had no idea what things would cost so we couldn’t set a budget right off the bat. Looking at venues on the app helps give you a better sense of what kind of wedding setting you can see yourself getting married in and what those venues cost (most venues will send you a quick price list if you request one on the app). I would also start writing out a preliminary guest list so you have an idea of how big your wedding will be. This will help with venue searching too because you don’t want to be looking at venues that seat 300 when you only have 50 people on your list. Then we started looking at caterers - our caterer was willing to give us a full quote even though we weren’t 100% sure of the venue and date but some caterers may only be able to give you a price range they work in if you don’t have a date or venue set. Once you have a good idea of what things cost then I would start looking at your budget and where the money will come from.

View Quoted Comment Even if it my wedding November 12,2022? Or wait next year?

View Quoted Comment Sure, you can obviously take your time if you’re planning 2 and a half years out but I’ve seen people posting in here about planning for 2025 weddings and beyond, so do it at whatever pace you want.

Even though your wedding is two years away you have to remember that also of 2020 brides are now getting married in 2020 so a lot of brides that were going to try to set a 2021 date will have to put it off to 2022 because the 2021 will be taken by 2020 brides that had to postpone. It’s always best to start early. You get the date you want, the vendors you want and you can spread your payments out over a longer period of time. The majority of your budget will be spent on venue, dj, florist, photography/videography, catering and decor. Not to mention your dress, jewelry, invitations, shoes, bridal party costs etc. It may help to have a venue where many of the services are included. And trying it DIY as much as you can.

View Quoted Comment Ok thank you put a light 💡 bull on my head already lol. But I’ll start planning this year to get my spot on where I want my wedding to be at.

We looked at venues first to get an idea of what we wanted and how much it may cost. From their we picked our food and photographer. Once what we thought was important was planned and priced out we came up with a budget and continued planning from there.

That’s a good question, you could start with budget, guest list/count, locations/venues...depends on what’s most important to you!

You can start with setting a budget but also look at venues bc you will see if you need to set higher budget/or if it is in your budget that you have set and plan from there. It sets the tone for what you want for your wedding and what you can afford. we did start with a venue and we found out a lot about venues, packages, and costs depending on the day of the of the week you are having your wedding. It did dictate what we were spending on our wedding and what kind of wedding were going to have.

View Quoted Comment Is that with a planner or with out one

I did not go with a planner when I was looking for my venues and touring them. I went with my mom and trust me she was my planner lol. When we touring of the venues my and I asked a lot of questions regarding the venue, packages, decor, number of guest etc. I already had it in my mind of what I could afford/spending on my wedding and that is where the questions comes in with the venue to see if they fit into my budget.

It's ok to start planning now. Big decisions first: 1) budget, 2) estimated guest list, 3) venue (or at least type of venue). Once you & your sweetie agree on these then the decor vision becomes easier.

View Quoted Comment Ok thank you